George Ross was the Deputy Minister of Energy and Mines Resources, Deputy Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Deputy Minister of Consumer Services, Deputy Minister of Research and Innovation, and also held a number of ADM positions within the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Research and Innovation. He also served in the role of National President of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) and currently as the CEO and principal consultant of George Arthur Ross and Associates Inc. George is also an active volunteer who serves on several boards. George is the editor-in-chief of Canadian Government Executive.
Exploring public service in the North 0
Usually, the summer period is a relatively slow time for public servants across the county. Parliaments and legislatures are in recess, politicians are spending much deserved time in their ridings, and family vacations become a priority for hard working staff. However, this year seems to be an exception. Issues with the Phoenix Pay system, dramatic...
Interview with Annette Antoniak, CAO, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta 0
In 2016, the community of Fort McMurray, Alberta, located in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB), was ravaged by a wildfire conjuring up images indelibly etched in the minds of all Canadians. The fire, which began in May of 2016 and raged on throughout much of the summer, burned up to 5,900 square kilometers and wasn’t finally extinguished until...
Government built for continuity 0
This year is proving to be an interesting one for all of us working in and with the governments across the country. On top of the inexorable and unrelenting pressures government executives face in carrying out their daily policy, regulatory and operational roles, this year we will see even more challenges caused by other factors....
An interview with Hillary Hartley, Deputy Minister, Ontario Digital Government 0
Recently, George Ross, Editor-in-Chief of Candian Government Executive sat down with Hillary Hartley, Ontario’s Deputy Minister responsible for digital government. Here is the full interview. First, Hillary, I think CGE readers will be quite interested in your background and how you came to the mission of digitizing government: a daunting and perhaps unglamorous job. So...
2018 Public Service Resolutions 0
It’s that time of year when some of us think reluctantly about new year’s resolutions – which in most cases revolve around big life goals – like diet and exercise, work and life balance, mindfulness, productivity and so on. For public servants at all stages of their career, it’s a superb time of year to...
On the cusp of a dramatic, generational change 0
On a recent visit to Ottawa, I had the opportunity to sit down with some of Canada’s top public service executives to find out what’s on their mind and to discuss CGE. These meetings reinforced what I’ve been hearing from executives and managers at all levels across the country. Namely, with the rapid onset of...
In a rather unusual, quiet manner this past summer, a new report has emerged from the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford and the UK’s prestigious Institute for Government – the International Civil Service Effectiveness InCiSE Index 2017. This report ranks the overall civil service effectiveness of 31 countries and is the...
What would you like to see in CGE? 0
For over 20 years, Canadian Government Executive (CGE) has been a staple in government offices from coast to coast to coast. CGE has been coming into our places of work, has been a travel companion and indeed has adorned our waiting rooms. But beyond that, CGE has been an important way for us to stay...